The European season is over, which is why the soccer community can already start to predict who will win the 2023 Ballon d’Or. Of course, Lionel Messi is widely seen as strong favorite, but there are other names in contention as well.
Erling Haaland, for instance, made a strong case by helping Manchester City win their first ever treble. The Norwegian made a huge impact in England, recording an impressive number of goals both in the Premier League and in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe could also be on the mix, considering he continued to shine for PSG despite his team’s struggles. But according to Goal, another Argentine world champion apart from Messi could be on the race for the coveted award.
Rumor: The 10 favorites to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or
The aforementioned outlet included Julian Alvarez in their top 10 favorites to challenge for the France Football prize this year. The Argentine sensation made a huge impact in the last World Cup, playing a pivotal role in his nation’s success.
However, the Man City player would run from behind, since he was ranked 10th. There are many other players above him, with Messi atop the list. This is Goal‘s ranking of Ballon d’Or favorites:
- Lionel Messi
- Erling Haaland
- Kylian Mbappé
- Vinicius Jr
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Rodri Hernández
- Ilkay Gündogan
- Victor Osimhen
- Robert Lewandowski
- Julian Alvarez
The 2023 Ballon d’Or winner will be announced on October 30 in a gala at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Will Messi bring home his eighth award, or will we see a new winner? We’ll have to wait and see.
